


all i need

by theflyjar



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Step-parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 23:46:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11725086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyjar/pseuds/theflyjar
Summary: Yixing worries that Yifan's son won't accept him.





	all i need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Soapbubblesoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soapbubblesoul/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Kira, I hope you like this gift I have written you.

Each person comes with baggage. Yixing has his fair share, ranging from his drawer stuffed full of paid parking ticket receipts to his abysmal short-term memory. Most are small but they pileup all the same. Yifan doesn't have any road traffic violations to his name and he can always remember where he leaves his house keys when he's in a rush. What Yifan has is a teenage son.

Yixing first met Yifan at a children's birthday party, Yixing had been interning for the parent of the child and Yifan's son had been a close friend to the birthday girl. They were only politely introduced to one another as Yixing stood awkwardly with a cluster of other adults that he didn't know. They'd exchanged names, nothing more. Yixing had been twenty-three then.

He had left quickly after arriving, discomfort swirling in his stomach as he stood off to the side as children buzzed around on sugar highs with cake frosting on their cheeks. It wasn't his scene, especially since he hadn't been to a nine-year-old's birthday party since he had been that age himself. Yixing had put his gift on the table as he made his way out of the house and to his car.

Not too long after that, Yixing's internship had ended and he moved into a more permanent job. Yifan had completely faded out of his memory, given that the only thing about that day that had imprinted in his mind about that day was the overwhelming sense of exclusion. However, it appeared that Yixing had left an impression on Yifan. Enough for Yifan to remember Yixing to the point where he managed to stop Yixing in a supermarket, both of them adjacent to where the peppers were kept. It had been a surreal experience at first for Yixing as he tried to plough through his memories for a man who had at least half a head of height over him.

"I was blond back then," Yixing remembers Yifan had said. "Maybe that's why you don't recognise me. But it was you, right? You looked really uncomfortable being there. A bit lost, too."

At those words, Yixing had known that he was definitely the man Yifan assumed him to be. They talked as they bagged fresh vegetables and Yixing found himself laughing much more than he had in a long while.

And that was it, Yixing was under Yifan's spell.

 

♡

 

"So, how old is your son?" Yixing sipped his rum and coke through the thin straw it was served with.

Yifan bit his lip and furrowed his brow, he fixated on his own gin and tonic. He seemed to have an internal debate over how to answer Yixing's question, which only managed to intrigue him even more, and he leant on the table at the bar. Yifan's son had been invited to stay at a friend's house and, naturally, Yifan had called Yixing to set up a date.

"He's twelve," Yifan cleared his throat, grimacing slightly around the words."

Yixing's eyes widened, "Oh."

"Yeah," Yifan ran his finger through the condensation on his glass. Yixing watched him open his mouth nervously, his lips moving soundlessly before an anxiety filled ramble began, "To save you the mental arithmetic, I was sixteen when he was born. It was actually from when I lost my virginity, I was fifteen and didn't realise that condoms could expire. My girlfriend, at the time, wanted to keep him and I didn't want to make her do something she didn't want to. Nine months later, I was a father and still in school."

Yixing grabbed Yifan's fingers and squeezed them tightly. "There's nothing to be nervous about, ge. I'm not going to judge you."

Yifan still let out a breathy chuckle. "That's a relief."

"But, what about his mother?" Yixing hesitantly asked, his hand still clasped around Yifan's. "What's life with a son been like?"

"It's really tiring and I'm constantly second guessing myself with everything, yet, it's the most rewarding thing. I've raised a child who has great morals and does pretty well in school. He seems happy, so I'm happy," Yifan smiled as he spoke more, and Yixing could see pride sparkling in his eyes when he talked about his son. Yifan's happy expression broke for a second as he began to search for words. "His mother, well, she left when we finished high school. It was too much for her, we broke up and kept trying to do things together, but then things kind of fell apart. She signed her rights to him over to me before she left for university, she was heartbroken but being a mother wasn't right for her. She really tried, though. I don’t have any resentment over that."

Yixing gulped sharply and brought Yifan's hand away from his glass to entwine their fingers, smiling at him. "I bet you're a wonderful father, Yifan."

"Thanks, Yixing," Yifan looked up at him and beamed. "I've been really scared to tell you this stuff because I don't tend to date, or even meet, people and I think you're pretty great. I didn't want to scare you off and ruin things."

"You haven't, don't worry." Yixing shifted their fingers to entwine their fingers. "I already knew you had a son. I didn't ask you for your number at the supermarket without knowing that you were a father, we did meet at the birthday party of my old boss’ child."

"Great," Yifan chuckled again, tightening his grip on Yixing's fingers.

 

♡

 

It was eight months in when Yixing was sat in Yifan's lounge, hands bunched up on his knees and lip between his teeth. Yixing could hear Yifan talking to his son somewhere off further into the small house and it did nothing to soothe Yixing's anxiety. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and Yixing stood up, wiping his palms on his thighs and staring at the door.

Before Yifan could even begin to introduce him, Yixing bowed and spoke up, "Hello, Wu Lei. I’m Zhang Yixing, your baba's boyfriend. It's an honour to meet you."

Yixing righted his back and managed to meet his gaze, Yifan smiled encouragingly and Yixing sucked in a deep breath.

"Hello," a smaller voice said and Yixing looked down at Yifan's son.

"Why don't you go sit down and I'll get you a drink?" Yifan nudged Lei's shoulder and Yixing watched him shuffle over to one of the sofa's. Yifan ruffled his son's hair and then looked at Yixing, "Do you want something?"

"Could I have some tea, if you have any? If not, water is fine." Yixing perched on the edge of the couch, twiddling his thumbs and searching for words to say to the thirteen-year-old. "So, Lei, do you do any clubs at school?"

"I play basketball," he mumbled, Yixing hoped it was bashfulness rather than reluctance. "I play in the school's team."

Yixing knew all about Lei's participation in the basketball team, Yifan had told him everything about it. "Oh, what position do you play?"

"Shooting guard."

"Ah, you're pretty tall, like your baba, so that's no surprise."

"Yeah."

Silence washed over them and Yixing wanted to slap himself for not being able to find the words to say. It was painfully awkward for the five minutes Yifan was out of the room and Yixing knew the meeting was a failure, he wished they could have been chatting casually when Yifan entered. However, they were not, and Yifan's sympathetic smile only made it worse.

"Lei, why don't you tell Yixing about what you do at school?" Yifan prompted as he placed their drinks on coasters and Yixing startled.

"I learn stuff," Lei didn't look at Yixing and, instead, picked up his drink and took a sip.

Yifan made eye contact with Yixing and the apology was more than visible there. Yixing didn't want to let himself grow disheartened, which still managed to happen as Yifan sat down beside his quiet son.

"Well, tell him about what you learn, then?" Attempted to pry _something_ out of his son. "I'm sure he'd loved to know."

"Chinese, maths, science, the same as any kid at any school," Lei shrugged his shoulders. "Baba, do I have to stay here or can I go upstairs and do my homework now?"

Yixing could see Yifan grind his jaw as he nodded, granting his son permission to leave. Yifan followed the boy out to the entrance hall where the stairs were and Yixing could hear murmuring, but couldn't make out the words. He wouldn’t have wanted to, even if he could. He didn’t want to be somebody who would invade all of Lei’s space. Instead, he remained seated on the sofa cushion and began to drink his tea, wetting his dry mouth and throat.

Yifan returned and sat himself down beside Yixing, Yifan ran his hands down his face and rubbed his eyes. Yixing turned to look at him, they both had small expressions of defeat plastered on their faces and Yifan looped an arm around Yixing's shoulder. Yifan tugged him into his side and Yixing let out a long sigh against his neck.

"That could have been worse," Yifan provided and Yixing huffed a laugh out of his nose. "If anything, you've managed to get him to do his homework within fifteen minutes of meeting him. It usually takes me hours."

"On any other day, that would make me laugh," Yixing admitted, slumping down. "I just know that your child liking me is a bit of a make-or-break thing for us, so I just wanted everything to go well."

Yifan rubbed Yixing's side and kissed the side of his head, "It's the first time you're meeting him, don't pressure yourself. I'm not going to tell you we aren't working out because of an awkward fifteen-minute encounter you've had with my son - who, of which, is going through some kind of phase that all thirteen-year-olds seem to go through."

"That's a relief."

"There's a reason why you're meeting him at this point. I'm sure that I can have a more solid future with you and that's the point of today, it's a sign that I want to be with you enough to introduce you to the most important person to me." Yifan explained, he was calm when Yixing felt completely drained. Failure never weighed to well on his shoulders. "Give him some time, let him see you as you and he'll love you."

"I hope so," Yixing nodded his head.

 

♡

 

Yixing joined them for dinners twice a week, sometimes he cooked for them, but most others, he was treated like a guest. He never stayed the night, at least whilst Lei was in the house, he didn’t know how Lei would react seeing him there in the morning. Yifan tried to diffuse the awkwardness between them all, by asking each of them questions.

It was a good way to learn about Lei, as he chatted animatedly to his father about school work and the girl who sat two seats over from him in class. And Yixing hoped that Lei found out more about him, too.

The boy wasn’t cold to him, but he wasn’t welcoming either. He handed Yixing things when he asked, he even aided Yixing in doing the dishes, but he never actively sought Yixing out. Yixing didn’t know what else to do. He asked Yifan when they spoke on the phone at night what he should do, if he should be more active in the way he approached Lei, or if he should back off.

Yifan only told him to relax, explaining that it was still the opening months of them meeting and that there would always be an adjustment period for Lei. Lei was used to having Yifan all to himself, for there to be just the two of them watching basketball and films every night, not to have Yixing sat at Yifan’s side at the dinner table or on the sofa.

“Give him time, Yixing,” Yifan rumbled deeply through the phone. “He will love you, I promise.”

 

♡

 

Yixing sat on the benches with Yifan at his side, they'd been dating for almost two years, and Yixing had only ever been to three of Lei's games. Whilst Yifan's son never expressed any outright dislike for Yixing, things were still awkward and they never talked much when they were alone together. Yixing had certainly tried. He took Lei out for lunches that tended to be quiet, he took him to the cinema to watch films Yifan said Lei wanted to see and Yixing had even met a few of Lei's friends. Everything was uncomfortable and made Yixing insecure.

He didn't want Yifan to break up with him over the awkwardness, especially since they wouldn't move forward with their relationship without Lei's blessing. There was no way Yixing would move in with them with things suspended how they were in the air. They were stagnant until things cleared up and Yixing worried that Yifan would decide that enough was enough.

"Are you sure I should be here?" Yixing shuffled on his feet, hand wrapped tightly in Yifan's as the boys on the court warmed up. "He never really likes it when I'm here."

"He likes you more than you think," Yifan said. He often repeated that sentence, Yixing knew it was a feeble attempt to make him feel better but it always worked. "And, _I_ want you here. This isn't just a big deal for him, this is massive for me. My son is in the finals. _My son._ "

Yixing smiled up to Yifan and kissed the fingers of his free hand and pressed them to Yifan's cheek, a habit they had when they wanted to express their affection to each other. Yifan looked down at Yixing with the biggest smile, the one Yifan had when Lei did something he couldn't contain himself over.

"I like seeing you like this, it's cute." Yixing grinned back up at him. "Your happiness is contagious."

"That's a pretty big compliment, Yixing."

"It's not just a compliment, it's the truth. I love seeing you like this," he pointed out and Yifan's features softened up even more.

"Why would I not be like this? I'm watching my child play in his first ever basketball final with the man I'm in love with at my side," Yifan tugged Yixing closer and placed an arm around his shoulders. "I never thought I would get to do this kind of thing, so this is a big deal for me. I've got you and Lei, what else could I want?"

"How do you say things like that so casually?" Yixing gaped and Yifan just shrugged, uncaring of who could see them in the crowd. "You have too much confidence, Wu Yifan."

Yifan was going to retort until he caught sight of his son, whom he instantly cheered for and managed to catch Lei's attention. Yixing clapped and smiled, unsure over whether or not he should yell out like Yifan did. Lei smiled and sent Yifan a thumbs up, his eyes slid over to Yixing and Yixing was relieved that nothing about Lei's stance changed.

"Say something supportive," Yifan whispered into his ear.

Yixing panicked for a split moment before cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted out, "You can do this, Lei."

For a split moment, Lei was stunned and only blinked. His smile slipped and Yixing felt instant regret, he could have thrown Lei's game completely off with his comment. Yifan's hand was in his quickly after, his thumb rubbing against Yixing's fingers.

And then, as if by magic, Lei's mouth parted into a wide smile and he nodded his head as he ran off to be with his teammates. He turned back to Yixing, keeping his grin on his lips, only turning away again when Yixing cheered for him again.

"Oh my god, did you see that?" Yixing squealed letting his eyes move from Lei and over to Yifan. "I can't believe this. You definitely saw that, right? It wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me?"

"I certainly saw that," Yifan brought Yixing even closer. "See, it's not as bad as you always seem to think it is."

"I'm just," Yixing's stomach flipped, "in _awe._ I never thought this could happen."

It wasn't the first time Lei had smiled at Yixing but it was a big acknowledgement for the three of them. It was Lei not acting like Yixing was a complete outsider and it was everything Yixing had ever wanted in sharing a moment with Yifan's son. Especially after dating Yifan for almost two years.

Yixing was still brimming with happiness when the game began and they took their seats, Yifan fidgeted beside him and Yixing tilted his head to look at Yifan.

"Don't be so scared. You've been practising with him almost every day for the past year, he's learnt so much from you and he's got that over every other person on that court," Yixing looked behind him for a quick second, ensuring no eyes were on them before kissing Yifan's temple gently. "Nobody else playing has Wu Yifan coaching them through everything."

Yifan didn't reply verbally and decided to leave a kiss on the top of Yixing's head instead, eyes fixed on where his son was huddled up with the rest of his teammates.

For the whole game, Yifan was in and out of his seat, yelling what Yixing assumed to be advice at Lei and his teammates. Yixing clapped and whooped whenever Lei managed to get points on the board, he tried to say encouraging things whenever the other team scored or had free throws, and he wasn't sure if it was all falling on deaf ears. Lei didn't turn to acknowledge him or Yifan other than during the break, timeouts, or when he was on the bench.

"He's doing well," Yifan observed as they came to half-time. "He's so focused."

"I think they could win this," Yixing responded happily, fingers clammy between Yifan's. Neither of them seemed to mind. "We should go out after this, if they do."

"And if they don't?" Yifan wasn't doubting his son, it was querying Yixing's plans for once the game had finished.

Yixing grimaced ever so slightly, "I'll make my own way home. I don't think he'd want to be around me if he misses out on winning the finals. I could be his bringer of bad luck."

"You don't bring anybody _'bad luck',_ Yixing."

"He could think that," Yixing whined. "With that little moment earlier, I don't want to take steps back with him."

"We shouldn't speculate," Yifan frowned. "Neither of us know how he'll react if he wins or loses, okay? I just know that he asked me if you'd be coming to watch him tonight, so there was already an expectation that you'd be coming along in his head. Things aren't as bad as you think they are. I know my son."

"I understand that, I just don't want to encroach. Especially if he'd be hurt or upset. This is a big deal for him. _For you_. I don't want to push the boundaries."

"We'll wait and see, don't worry so much," Yifan huddled Yixing closer to his body and made sure to leave an arm hung over his shoulder. “Have more confidence in yourself, you’ve known him for a year and he’s never told me that he doesn’t like you.”

The game resumed and Yixing could see Lei trying to motivate his teammates, attempting to give them a boost to carry them through the game. Yixing knew that Yifan often told his son that the third quarter of the game was crucial, it would solidify a win or settle a loss. The way Lei moved across the court was almost mesmerising for Yixing, it reminded him so much of how Yifan carried himself and he could feel the confidence oozing out of the fifteen-year-old.

Yifan and his son made more eye contact in the second half, Yifan often getting his son to breathe and take his time. There were a few fouls every so often, ones that visibly bothered Lei, but Yixing saw him inhale deeply and flick his eyes back to Yixing and Yifan, taking that opportunity to take a few seconds before heading back into the game.

There's a moment, in the closing minutes, where one of Lei's teammates commits a foul, barging into one of the opposition and sending him to the floor with a bleeding nose. Lei let out a furious roar, cursing loudly and Yixing tilted his head up to see Yifan containing a smile.

"You're not going to yell at him for that in the car, are you?"

Yifan doesn't take his eyes away from the player lining up to take his shot, "Not at all, I’ve always told him that he can swear whilst he’s playing - just not to any of the officials."

The player threw the ball and it missed, Yifan and Lei both visibly loosened up. He was tossed another ball and he steadied himself before taking the next shot.

When that also missed its target, Lei screamed out in happiness and Yifan erupted in a cry that was equally as joyous. There were still minutes left and Yixing had mounting confidence, given that as soon as Lei touched the ball, he moved around the court with ease.

Hearing the final buzzer made Yifan hug Yixing so tightly that all the air escaped his body, squeezing him into wheezing laughter as Yifan actually began to tremble. He knew his son's win meant a lot to Yifan, it was clear that Yifan was reliving the basketball career of his younger years. It was just as important for Yifan for his son to win as it had once been for Yifan to.

They waited, hand in hand, for Lei to come out of the locker room with his friends.

"Hey, Wu, are you going to the party at Yang's house, to celebrate?" Yixing could hear coming out of the opening door to the changing area.

"I'll give it a pass. I really just want to spend time with my baba and his friend tonight, so maybe another time."

Yixing thought the use of the word _friend_ would have bothered him, but it had been something they'd agreed on calling Yixing in public. They didn't want Lei to have to deal with all the implications of having a dad who was dating another man during his high school years. In fact, Yixing had been overjoyed to hear that he had said that he _wanted_ to spend time with both Yifan _and_ Yixing. Not just his father, Yixing was included in that too.

"Alright, see you Monday, then."

Lei stepped out in front of where Yifan and Yixing were waiting, he dashed over to his dad with his winner's medal around his neck and he leapt at his father. Yifan caught him easily and held him tightly. Yixing was constantly in amazement of how close the father and son were. It warmed his heart.

Yixing let out a quiet squeak as Lei let go of his father and hugged him instead. Yixing's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Yifan over the boy's shoulder and Yifan urged him to hug his son back. Yixing enveloped Lei's waist and turned his head. "Your father and I are so proud of you."

Lei tensed a little before settling in Yixing's arms again, "Thanks for coming, Yixing."

When they stepped back from each other, Yifan was beaming so brightly that Yixing thought he was shining.

"Why don't we go out for dinner and pick up some ice cream on the way home?"

Yifan's suggestion had Yixing, and Lei, nodding their heads. Yifan's arm hooked around his son's neck and Yixing trailed slightly behind them as they talked about almost everything that had happened in the game. They didn't stop analysing as they sat in the car, Yixing riding shotgun with Lei sat behind him. They all smiled and laughed along as Lei recounted his reactions to stupid decisions made by the players and officials.

Yixing knew things still weren't perfect between him and Yifan's son, but he knew he was getting there, that _something_ had changed. It made him hopeful.

 

♡

 

The first time Yixing had stayed the night at Yifan’s house, while Lei was there, had been when Lei had returned back from a school trip. It was four weeks after the basketball match and Yixing’s dinners at Yifan’s house had shifted from two evenings to five. Lei sometimes helped Yixing cook, too, giving them a chance to bond and tease Yifan over his lacking cooking skills.

It was Yifan who had asked Yixing to join him in picking Lei up from the train station. Yixing had been unsure at first, knowing that Lei had spent six nights away from home, wary of the fact that Lei may not want to see Yixing as soon as he arrived back. Mainly since his train arrived at eleven at night.

But, he’d decided to go along and hung back as Lei walked straight to his father and hugged him, squirming when Yifan started to kiss his forehead. Yixing smiled at the sight of it and he knew, despite all of Lei’s attempts to escape his father’s affection, he loved it really.

“Yixing’s here, too,” he heard Yifan say, causing Lei to lift his head up from Yifan’s shoulder and look straight at Yixing.

Lei withdrew from his dad’s loosened arms and approached Yixing, twisting slightly to rummage around in his bag for something. He brought out a paper bag and handed it to Yixing with both hands.

“I saw this and I wanted to give it to you,” Lei grinned at him, filling Yixing with a happiness that felt liquid in his veins.

He took the gift into his hands and held it to his heart for a moment, and squeal erupted from him not too long after, as the rush of Lei hugging him pushed him into a state of shock. Yixing was quick to recover and wrapped his arms around the boy in return, squeezing him tightly to his chest.

“I’m glad you’re back safely,” Yixing whispered and Lei nodded his head.

“Thank you for coming tonight, and, ge, you don’t have to be surprised every time I hug you,” Lei laughed lightly. “It’s been weird not being able to see you most days.”

Yixing’s heart translated that to: _“I’ve missed you.”_

And Yixing’s mouth responded in likeness, “I’ve missed you, too.”

It wasn’t too long until Yifan approached them and jingled his car keys, “We should probably get going, otherwise it’ll be gone one in the morning before Yixing gets back to his apartment.”

Lei stepped back from Yixing and took his bag from his father, holding the handles tightly as he nodded his head. Yixing followed the two of them back to the car, only hurrying up when Lei looked over his shoulder and told him to stop being so slow. Yixing laughed at that and felt his heart pound a little faster when he saw that both the father and son had matching smiles directed at him in return.

Yixing let Lei sit in the front seat as he reeled off what he did on his trip, the funny antics his roommates got up to and what he’d learnt. Yixing enjoyed listening to him and only felt softer inside because Lei was twisted in his seat, looking at both adults. He made sure Yixing was listening, meeting his eyes every few moments and smiling when they caught gazes.

When they arrived at the house, Yixing slowed down as they all got out of the car, giving time for Lei to sort himself out before saying goodnight. He lingered by the car and startled when Lei called his name.

“Yixing, are you not coming inside?” The boy asked, pouting slightly at both Yixing and Yifan.

“Ah,” Yixing responded quickly, stepping up onto the curb. “I should probably start going home, otherwise it’ll be late by the time I’m there.”

“You can stay here, right?” Lei turned, not asking the question to Yixing, but to Yifan. “You don’t have to pretend that you guys don’t have sleepovers, or whatever it is that adults call them, around me. You’ve been dating for three years and I’m not an idiot.”

“Yixing can stay the night?” Yifan gaped, eyes widening in shock, which Yixing also felt himself do.

“Sure,” Lei shrugged. “You’re adults and I’m old enough to realise that you guys will want to do things like this. So, Yixing, do you want to stay over tonight?”

With his eyes curved into his smile, Yixing nodded his head, following them into the house and moving warily behind them. Part of him was waiting for Lei to turn around and tell him that he was joking, that he doesn’t want Yixing in the house anymore. However, he didn’t.

The realisation of the monumental acceptance from Lei only hit Yixing as he laid in Yifan’s bed, waiting for Yifan to come out of his ensuite bathroom and into the bedroom. He could hear Yifan in the shower and decided to open up the gift Lei had given to him, glancing into the bag and taking out a small wooden placard. Yixing frowned as he looked at it, until he turned it over.

He cupped one hand to his mouth, eyes instantly overrun with tears, and his other fingers ran over the design on the front. It was a carving, a beautiful one, of a dragon and a phoenix entwined together. However, that wasn’t what made him feel weak to his own emotions. It was the handwritten, in Lei’s script, note that read: _“I wish for you to always be at our sides.”_

“Shit, Yixing,” Yifan cried out, “are you okay? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“He wants me here,” Yixing whimpered, crawling across the bed to cling at Yifan’s soaked waist. “He doesn’t hate me.”

Yifan threaded his fingers in Yixing’s hair, pressing him against his skin even more. “Yeah, he said you could stay the night, like, an hour ago. Why are you crying now?”

Yixing gestured behind him blindly to where he’d dropped his gift and one of Yifan’s hands left his hair, reaching for the plaque. Yifan took a second before letting out an almost inaudible whine, “Oh, Leilei.”

Yixing clutched at Yifan, sobbing softly into Yifan’s stomach and he couldn’t tell if the water dropping down onto his head was the water from Yifan’s wet hair, or his boyfriend’s own tears.

 

♡

 

"Yixing, I know this isn't your problem, but I can't get away from work," Yifan sighed through the phone. "It's the fourth time the school has called this semester and they want a meeting but I just can't seem to get away."

Yixing was plucking his car keys from his pocket as he made his way out his apartment, "I already said I would go when you called five minutes ago. Just make sure you tell the school I'll be going in your place, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll call them as soon as we hang up." Yifan was quiet and Yixing could imagine him rubbing his face. "I just don't know what is going on with him. He's been getting into fights and missing basketball practice, is this something I've done? Is this a phase? Whenever I try to talk to him, he shuts me out or tells me not to worry."

"I know, Fan," Yixing held his phone to his ear with his shoulder as he opened his car door and sat in the front seat. "Have a bit of trust in him and how you've raised him. He's a good kid."

"You're right, you're right." Yifan hummed. "Call me when you guys get out. I'll try to get off work a little earlier, so you don't have to babysit him for too long."

"Yifan, just get back to work and I'll let you know how things go."

They said their goodbyes and Yixing set off in the direction of the high school. As he neared, he grew more and more anxious. It was the first time he was ever going to meet Lei in something of a parenting capacity and he didn't know how the boy was going to react.

That worry, however, dissipated when he saw Lei sat on his own in front of a row of teachers, another student and, who Yixing assumed to be, the other teenager's parents. Lei looked incredibly vulnerable where he was perched and Yixing gravitated to his side instantly. He grabbed the boy's hand, Lei startled at the touch and Yixing gave him a passive smile.

"You must be Mr Zhang, Mr Wu called and said you'd be attending this meeting on his behalf," an older woman greeted and Yixing bowed his head. "Now that you're here, we can begin with proceedings."

"Right," one of the other teachers opened. "I think we are all clear that this school does not tolerate violence and, Wu Lei, you've been on our radar for quite a while. It was, initially, for your active roles in and out of school with clubs and study groups, but now, your behaviour appears to have slipped. You've been getting into verbal, and _physical_ , fights over the past few weeks and it's becoming concerning."

Yixing rubbed his thumb over Lei's hand, hoping it would be a comforting gesture.

"We think suspension is the best course of action. Detentions and services within the school don't seem to be working as an effective punishment because of the continuation of this behaviour." The first woman spoke again, picking up her pen to scribbled something down. "We really don't tolerate this."

After frowning for a second, Yixing spoke up, "Are we not going to discuss the root of the problem here? As in _why_ the fight today happened, rather than just dealing the punishments. Because, surely, no amount of exclusions, detentions and school services aren't going to change anything if the problem remains."

The teachers looked at one another thoughtfully before nodding at Yixing, the headmistresses' pen lifting off the paper to be twiddled between her fingers.

"Why don't we start with you, Li Fang?" The teacher smiled but it was hollow, Yixing's suggestion had clearly ruined her plans for a short meeting. "Talk us through the events of this morning."

"I was walking to my classroom with a few of my friends and we passed Wu Lei in the corridor, he was looking through his bag for something." Yixing listened to what the boy said, yet, turned his head to look at Lei, observing his features. "We were minding our own business, really. Then, out of nowhere, I'm being pushed into the wall and his fist is flying at my face."

Yixing knew the boy was lying, Lei's eyebrows and mouth twitched downwards, it was something Yifan did, too. It was a tell from both of the Wu's that something wasn't right. The feeling in Yixing's stomach was unsettling and he shuffled his chair closer to Lei's.

"I see," the principle hummed. "And what about you, Wu Lei?"

"Remember, tell the truth," Yixing whispered. "Even if you don't want to, tell the truth and it'll all end faster. And, I can try to make it better."

Lei turned to look at Yixing and he held tightly to Yixing's hand as he turned back to tell his side of the story.

"I was getting my water bottle from my bag before lessons started. Yixing had put it in there because I hadn't had a drink with my breakfast, I'd woken up late and rushed to be able to leave with my Baba."

Yixing could remember the scene of Lei dashing through the house trying to find his school books and Yixing had asked if he'd wanted to have something to drink, he'd declined by saying he didn't have the time. So Yixing had fixed him one to put in his backpack, just in case.

"I didn't even notice that there were other people in the hallway until one of them said something. I don't remember what exactly but it was something about the fact that my baba is dating a man."

The teachers all gasped slightly, Yixing placed his other hand around Lei's, gripping him to stop himself from crying and to stop the boy from shaking slightly.

"They were saying that it's wrong for them to be together, that they should be arrested for being together."

"Was it Li Fang who said that?"

Lei shook his head, bowing it slightly.

"No, I didn't see who made that comment. But, Li Fang said something," Lei looked at Yixing. "It made me so angry that I just saw red, I couldn't stop myself before I hit him."

"And can either of you remember what it was that had been said?"

Yixing knew that the Li Fang boy wouldn't answer, so he kept focused on Lei.

"He said that men like Yixing, small and pretty and _gay_ , would love to be locked away with hundreds of other men." Yixing ground his jaw and everybody, other than Yixing and Lei, looked incredibly uncomfortable. Yixing bit his lip, he didn't want to cry but knew he was close to it, and felt Lei's right-hand move to clasp over his. "I know I shouldn't have hit him, I know that's wrong, but I'm so tired of people saying things about my babas, and calling them names. I'm sorry."

It took everything within Yixing to not let out a sob as he heard the word _'babas'_ come out of Lei's mouth, and all he could do was make sure his grip on the boy's hands stayed tight.

The teachers asked if they could have a few minutes to discuss their next course of action. Yixing instantly approved, releasing Lei's hands and picking up his rucksack to put over his own shoulder. As soon as they stepped out of the office and into the waiting area, Yixing drew Lei into a hug and the boy, even though he was taller than Yixing already, tucked his head into the crook of Yixing's neck.

"Why didn't you tell your baba you were being bullied?" Yixing whispered, not wanting to let his tears slip out, yet being unable to stop it. "He could have tried to do something. _We_ could have tried to do something."

"I don't know, I didn't want you guys to worry," Lei hugged Yixing back tightly, keeping their bodies together. "I didn't want the comments of some dumb teenagers to bother you."

Yixing lifted one of his hands to run through Lei's hair, he nodded his head. He understood the boy completely. "But it's not what the boys are saying that would concern me or your baba, it's how it's making you feel that we're worried about. The both of us know that it's not in your nature to pick fights and argue with people, so your father has been fretting over all of these different scenarios in his head. He’s worried about you."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Yixing whispered. "You were defending your baba. And even though I don't condone violence, I would have punched him, if I had been in your position."

"But it wasn't about baba, it was about you," Lei drew back a little, looking down at Yixing with a frown. "I don't have a mother and I don't really know why, but I know that you love me, as well as my baba. You're my baba, too, now."

Yixing brought Lei down to cuddle him again, crying softly into the boy's hair and running his fingers through it. Yixing's heart couldn't handle it, it was thumping just as wildly as it had when he'd first told Yifan that he loved him. But it was different. Yixing had known, back then, that Yifan loved him back. Lei saying something like that took him utterly by surprise, it was something he didn't ever expect.

"I think we're ready now," one of the teachers popped their head out of the door and it was the other family who entered first, leaving Yixing to tug Lei along behind him by his hand.

They sat in their seats again and Yixing dabbed at his eyes to get rid of the tears there.

"Instead of exclusion, we want Lei to spend another week doing evening detentions, which is his punishment for his act of violence. However, we also want Fang to take part in early morning detentions where he will be writing a letter of apology to Wu Lei for provoking and inciting violence," the headmistress looked at all of them as they nodded. "We would like you both to go home after this meeting and it will be marked down as a full excluded day. But, we will need you to complete homework packets during your detentions next week to catch up. Now, I just need parental and, uh, _guardian_ , signatures to approve of this action."

Yixing took the pen and permission slip he was offered and signed on the dotted line to say the school could hold Lei back for an hour after school for the five school days during the next week. He turned to hand the pen to the couple sat at his side and held back an eye roll as they ignored him, asking for another pen to use.

"It's a pen, for god's sake, just take it," Yixing huffed out, laughing. "I'm gay, not contagiously diseased."

The mother hesitantly took the pen from Yixing's hand and Yixing made sure to smile at her, encouraging. She scribbled her signature onto the piece of paper detailing her son's detention sessions and passed the pen back to the headmistress.

Once they were sat in Yixing's car, Yixing turned to Lei as he turned the key in the ignition. "Your baba won't be finished with work for another few hours, is there anything you want to do?"

"Shouldn't you send me to my room or something?" Lei asked him, fiddling with the straps of his back idly. "You know, for fighting."

"Well, you know that hitting people is wrong and everything must have been stressing you out, so I was thinking that maybe you'd want to go somewhere to unwind? We can do whatever you want, within reason, of course."

Lei mulled things over before a smile spread across his face, "Can I see what you do? You've been with my baba for four years and I've never seen your apartment or where you work, or anything really."

"There's nothing too interesting going on at the studio today, as there's nobody recording, but I could take you somewhere else? Show you how I de-stress?"

"I thought you played basketball with me and my baba to loosen up...?"

"Oh, I do that, too. But, I rarely played basketball between high school and meeting your baba, I never really had anybody to play with." Yixing explained as the car started and he began to drive out of the school's guest parking area. "I dance, you see. I don't know how good I am, as I was never formally taught. I just used to copy what I saw from music videos as a kid and tried to learn like that."

"You dance?" Lei pulled a face, one that only displayed scepticism.

"Only casually," Yixing nodded. "Your baba says I'm good, though."

"Well, he can't really dance," Lei reasoned. "He's always embarrassing with it, especially when he's drunk. So, I don't think he can be the authority on dancing."

"He really can't control his limbs," Yixing agreed, chuckling to himself as he thought of Yifan's dancing. "But I can promise that I'm better than your baba."

"We'll wait and see," Lei hummed, challenging Yixing as they drove from street to street. "I am setting the bar pretty high, you know? You've seen how good baba and I are at basketball, even when we play casually, so you have to be at that level, but with dancing."

"I don't know if I am _that_ good because you guys are great at basketball," Yixing snorted, not wishing for Lei to be disappointed. "I just know how to shift around a bit."

He could see Lei looking at him from the edge of his vision and he turned his head to meet his gaze once he'd stopped to let another car pass in front of them. They smiled at each other for a few seconds before Yixing moved off to continue their journey. There wasn't much more talking to be done and only the sound of the radio could be heard over their breathing, it was _relaxed._ There was nowhere near the tension Yixing would have expected a few years before, back when he wasn't sure what to say or do.

The more Yixing thought about it, the more Lei trying to defend him meant to him. It wasn't just caring about each other, it was wanting to protect one another and it humbled Yixing. He'd gained the trust of Lei, of Yifan's child, and it made him want to cry with happiness.

Such a feeling meant that once they were in one of the private use rooms of the dance studio Yixing used most often, he was able to smile at Lei as he switched the music on.

"I'm wearing jeans, so don't judge me if it isn't perfect," Yixing muttered as he found a song to play on his phone.

"Stop making up preemptive excuses and just dance already," Lei whined, sounding a lot like Yifan when he was growing impatient. "I want to know if I need to tell you to get a new hobby."

"You don't have to be good at something to enjoy it."

Lei didn't respond because Yixing started to move. He hadn't danced in weeks and his body didn't feel completely supple, the tension of panic producing a song he'd forgotten to do had set in and Yixing hadn't danced to rid himself of it. He followed the beat with his body, completely focused on looking at himself in the mirror, ensuring each movement was sharp and fully followed through.

It wasn't determination to impress Lei that took over Yixing, it was the want to move freely in time with the music. His body loosened up more and more, being able to isolate parts of his body to move separately from the rest of him.

The song drew to a close, Yixing's heart was racing and his breathing had grown ragged, then when he turned to look at Lei, he grinned. Lei looked stunned, his mouth and eyes were equally as open as one another.

“Hey, can you teach me how to do that?” Lei asked, rushing to Yixing’s side excitedly. “That was incredible, I can’t believe you just did that. And you said you’ve never properly been taught? Wow.”

Yixing shifted nervously on his feet, running his hand through his hair and smiling down to at the floor. “I think I can teach you a few things.”

By the time they were back in Yixing’s car, they were drenched in sweat and Yixing’s phone battery had died. Lei took his own phone out and frowned, showing the screen to Yixing, who only grimaced when he saw how many missed calls from Yifan there were.

“Call him back,” Yixing encouraged. “If you want, I’ll talk to him.”

Lei tapped Yifan’s number and called it, handing the phone over to Yixing, who held it up to his ear and smiled when Yifan answered, sighing in relief.

“Lei, where are you? Did Yixing come to the school?”

“Fan,” Yixing greeted, enjoying the confused snort Yifan let out. “We’re just on our way back to your house now.”

“How did it go? Is he okay? What happened?” All of the questioned came out of Yifan in a flurry and Yixing only grinned wider.

“Everything is sorted out,” he told Yifan. “Lei’s been with me all afternoon, we’re on our way back to your house now.”

The drive back was quiet, the only thing spoken was Yixing’s promise to Lei that nothing bad would happen to him, that he would take his side if anything didn’t go well.

Yifan was pacing in the lounge when they arrived, clearly tense and anxiety-ridden. Lei walked in behind Yixing reluctantly, having to be half yanked by Yixing to face his father. And Yifan deflated at the sight of the two of them. Yixing knew it was relief, but Lei was still on edge.

“Are you okay?” Yifan asked gently, approaching his son and collecting him up in his arms. “What’s going on with you, Leilei? Whatever it is, I won’t be angry.”

Lei slipped out of his father’s hold and shifted closer to Yixing’s side, still holding onto his hands.

“Can you tell him?” Lei whispered in Yixing’s ear. “I don’t think I can.”

Yixing turned his head, facing the boy and lifted his other hand to run through his hand softly, “Okay. You go upstairs and one of us will come up to get you after.”

Lei nodded, hugging Yixing close before he shuffled off out of the living room, his footsteps going up the stairs echoing through the house as Yixing made his way to Yifan.

“Am I missing something here?” Yifan’s face was relaxed into a dumb expression, eyes searching over Yixing. “What happened today?”

Yixing got them both to sit down, his hands holding Yifan’s as he explained what happened in the principal’s office. Yifan’s eyes were red and glistening by the end, one of his hands out of Yixing’s and pressed to his mouth, and he was breathing heavily onto his fingers. Five minutes passed as Yifan sat there, only moving when Lei silently entered the room, clearly not thinking it would have taken that long to explain.

“I’m sorry, Baba,” Lei mumbled, rubbing at his own slightly red eyes.

“Come here.” Yifan used his hand to motion his son towards himself and Yixing shuffled away on the sofa, leaving a space for Lei to sit in. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Yixing and I never wanted you to be in this position, we didn’t think things could unfold like this. And I apologise for that. We’ve talked things through and Yixing’s said he’ll take a step back, if that’s what’s needed for things to cool off in school.”

“No, no,” Lei shook his head violently, turning his head towards Yixing. “Please don’t leave us, I don’t want anything to change.”

“We only wish for you to be happy,” Yixing reassured him, laying his hand on Lei’s knee. “I’ll do whatever you need me to for that to happen.”

“Then don’t go anywhere,” Lei told him sadly, yet firmly. “Having you both makes me happy, so I don’t need things to be different. Yixing, you’re permanent, high school and bullies aren’t. And I know I just said I don’t want things to change, but I do. Only in one way, though. I don’t want there to be days when Yixing isn’t here. I want to have both my parents here.”

“...Parents?” Yifan croaked, drawing the attention to himself as he spoke, tears no longer restrained to his eyes. “You think of Yixing as a parent?”

“He’s been helping to raise me since we met, of course he’s my baba, too,” Lei whispered shyly, fingers curling around Yixing’s. “And I want him to be here with us.”

 

♡

 

“When I was twelve, my baba told me that there was somebody - other than me - who was special in his life.” Wu Lei drew a deep breath in, clearly nervous. And all Yixing wanted to do was soothe him. “I can remember being confused. I didn’t know why my baba needed another person, who wasn’t me, in his life. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t everything my father would need. I’ve never - in my memory, at least - had, or needed what others would class as a ‘proper’ family. I didn’t feel like I needed a mother. I was happy when it was just Baba and me, it was the two of us. And two was fine.

“I had been worried this person would try to take my baba away from me. Then, at thirteen, I was able to meet this person who had become important to my father. I was awkward and shy when he introduced himself as Yixing, as my father’s boyfriend.” Lei turned to look at Yixing, eyes smiling. “It took a while for me to warm up to Yixing and realise that Yixing didn’t want to steal my father away. I came to work out that he was filling a gap, one I don’t think anybody knew my baba and I had.

“I may never have felt the want for a conventional family. But, I think I’ve always needed Yixing in my life.”

Lei walks around from where he was stood at his seat, making his way over to Yifan, who let go of Yixing’s hand to reach into his pocket and pulled out some folded pieces of paper. He handed them to Lei and the teenager smoothed them out in his hands.

“When Baba asked what I wanted to give you for your birthday at this party, I considered many things. I toyed with the idea of seeing if we could rent a dance studio out for a few evenings. Or, if you’d enjoy coming to watch a pro basketball game with me and Baba. Then I thought about what I _really_ wanted to give you, and this gift may seem a little selfish, but it’s what would make me happiest.”

Lei handed Yixing the papers, but Yixing didn’t look down at them, he maintained eye contact with Lei, instead.

“What I want to gift you, is the opportunity to be able to be my dad. _Legally._ I want everybody, not just me, to regard you as my father. After everything you’ve done for me - showing me how to cook, teaching me how to dance, and relieving the pain I felt when I saw my father’s loneliness. So, if you’d have me, I’d like to be your son.”

  



End file.
